Hollywood Automotive Exhibit Brings Famous Vehicles To Life In Mixed Reality

Today marks the grand opening of The Petersen Automotive Museum’s “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” exhibit, an automotive-themed showcase that shines a spotlight on some of the most iconic dream cars from cinema and video games. Featuring vehicles from legendary franchises such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, visitors can get up-close and personal with 50 famous rides from over 20 genre-defining films.

Image Credit: Petersen Automotive Exhibit

This year, the Petersen Museum has once again partnered with Comic-Con on its “Hollywood Dream Machines: Worlds Reimagined” exhibit, a uniquely immersive experience that utilizes Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality headset to give attendees a special look at two of sci-fi’s most recognizable vehicles.

Lead by Back to the Future co-creator and producer Bob Gale, fans of the 80’s classic will be guided on a mixed reality tour of Doc’s time-traveling Delorean, offering them a closer look at the fictional Hill Valley and the futuristic vehicle. Fans of the popular Halo franchise will also be in for a treat as they follow the smartmouthed “Monitor” 343 Guilty Spark through a detailed breakdown of the system and weapons of UNSC’s tough-as-nails ‘Warthog’ off-road vehicle.

Image: The Warthog as featured throughout the Halo franchise.

“The Petersen is proud to partner with Microsoft on this mixed-reality project,” said Terry L. Karges, Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “This exhibit is made to highlight the futuristic vehicles and technologies that spark our imaginations, and Microsoft’s HoloLens is a cutting-edge way to express that high-tech vision in real life.”

“We are incredibly excited to be partnering again with the Petersen on a second mixed reality experience for their guests,” said Ryan Gaspar, Director of Brand Partnerships at Microsoft. “Leveraging Microsoft HoloLens as a means of enhancing the rich stories of ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Halo’ is an incredibly fitting use of the technology.”

Last year the HoloLens-powered exhibit featured a mixed reality experience centered around the 1967 Ford GT40 Mark II and 2017 Ford GT, allowing visitors to compare the powerful vehicles via MR holograms.

Petersen Automotive Museum’s “The Hollywood Dream Machines: Worlds Reimagined” exhibit was developed in partnership with Comic-Con with additional support provided by Microsoft and Audi.